Facemasks for helmets have been used since the late 1940's or early 1950's. According to sports folklore, the football helmet face guard was invented by Paul Brown, legendary coach of the Cleveland Browns. The purpose of the facemask or face guard is to protect the wearer from objects such as hands or feet directed toward the face of the helmet wearer. However, a serious disadvantage of the football facemask is that it can be grasped by a would-be tackler with the potential for serious neck injury. As a result, grabbing the facemask is subject to a major penalty assessment (15 yards).
In the past, it was recognized that a releasable or "breakaway" facemask would protect the helmet wearer by causing the facemask being grasped to be separated from the helmet. However, once this occurs, the wearer's face is exposed to contact with hands, feet or other objects directed toward the face. The prior art failed to address the desirability of causing the grip on the facemask to be released, rather than the facemask itself having to "break away" from the helmet.